


The Noble Prize

by medusa20



Category: Big Bang Theory
Genre: Angst, F/M, Infidelity, romance betryal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-30
Updated: 2012-07-16
Packaged: 2017-11-10 03:17:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/461642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/medusa20/pseuds/medusa20
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sheldon's quest for glory has unforseen consequences</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nomination

**_You and me could write a bad romance_ **

**_Lady GaGa_ **

 

 

 

Penny and Leonard married two years after his return Three years later, a year and a half, into the Hofstadter marriage, Sheldon won the Nobel prize. Penny and Leonard were visiting her parents in Nebraska for three weeks when he went to Stockholm.

Marriage to Leonard was _nice._ He went to work; she went to work. They had dinner, did chores or implemented some of their routines from their apartment days when Howard and Raj visited. Leonard still drove Sheldon to work -they had moved a five minute drive from him- but he never came over and Penny hadn't spent any time with him since the wedding.

Each morning, when Penny woke up and looked at her sleeping husband, she told herself she was happy, that Leonard was a good husband. She repeated this mantra without fail because, goddammit, it was going to be true and she needed to believe it. She never told herself that she didn't miss Sheldon.

Penny's mother watched the newlyweds as it had been some time since she'd last seen them. Leonard hadn't changed much. He still dressed in layered jackets and squinted through his glasses as if he could never see clearly enough. Penny smiled too much.

"So, how's married life?" Her mother asked, laying cold cuts on a platter.

"Good." Penny was chopping onions, tomatoes and pickles to put on the sandwiches. "Leonard is very devoted to us." Her mother continued to roll up slices of ham. They could hear Leonard sneezing as he walked around the barn with is father-in-law.

"And you?" Her mother prompted. She and Penny had always been closer than she was with Penny's sister.

"Well, I'm one of the extras on that new sitcom so the regular work is nice. Owning a house is a lot of work but we'll eventually get it fixed the way we want. I have no complaints." Penny put her ingredients in a bowl and began seasoning them.

"Are you happy? Do you feel like you made the right decision?"

"Of course, " Penny said drizzling olive oil using exactly three swirls. They worked in silence for a few minutes. Penny's mother placed American cheese in a diamond pattern on the next platter.

"How's Sheldon?" Her mother finally gathered the courage to ask.

"Oh, Mom," tears filled Penny's throat, "how can you be so cruel?"

**XXXX**

Sheldon closed the door to his hotel room loosening his bow tie. His tuxedo shoes were killing him and the entire outfit made him itch. He walked across the room tossing the medal and all its accompanying certificates carelessly on the bed.

His mother and Missy had whooped wildly when he rose to give his speech on dark matter. Howard and Raj had also flown in to celebrate his triumph with him. He didn't care.

He stood in front of the balcony doors staring, unseeing , at the lights of Stockholm. He wished he was a drinking man. Right now, he'd be out with Raj, Howard and Missy numbing his award - winning brain with grain distillate. At least, he had brought his laptop. He could always play Age of Conan until he grew tired.

Sheldon changed into his Friday pajamas while he waited for his computer to boot up. He picked up his certificates and stowed them in his laptop bag. Finally, he picked up the medal which had been his blinding pursuit since the age of four. Sheldon had achieved his goal- all his work, struggle and sacrifice condensed into the talisman in his hand. He let it drop to the floor as he reached for his cell phone.

He flipped the phone open and pressed a key he hadn't touched in years. Sheldon gave absolutely no thought to the difference in time zone; he knew it wouldn't matter anyway. She answered after the first ring. Sheldon stood there silently, letting the lump in his throat subside.

"You were never second." His voice came out deep hinting at his accent.

"I know," she answered, but he had already ended the call.


	2. Submission

"The whole summer?" Penny's mouth was agog.

"I leave June first and return September first," Leonard replied, "but they don't have Labor Day in England, so I guess.."

"Leonard, "Penny interrupted. "FOCUS!. This is the second time you'll be leaving me for three months since I've known you." Leonard pushed up his glasses before looking at her.

"I know. This is an incredible opportunity to work at the Institute of Physics."

"Yes. You'll finally be able to look the Dutch researchers you've been ripping off in the eye," Sheldon intoned from his spot.

"It's just everything is going so well between us," Penny lamented.

"Try to understand," Leonard said. "If you had to go on location for a movie, it would be the same situation."

"Hardly," Sheldon interjected. "The likelihood of that is even more remote than your invitation to the IOP's Summer Institute."

Penny glared at Sheldon, opening her mouth so he could see her partially chewed pizza.

**XXXX**

She and Leonard lay in bed quietly talking.

"You'll check on Sheldon?"

"Every day."

"Raj will drive him to work and he and Howard will still come by according to schedule . But, you know Sheldon…" his voice trailed off.

"You sound more concerned about leaving him than you are about leaving me." There was a slight edge in Penny's voice.

"It's a different type of concern," Leonard admitted. "This is a huge disruption for him, though he is hiding it well. Whenever his routine gets disrupted, Sheldon gets whacky."

"Er," Penny corrected. "Wackier." They laughed before drifting off to sleep.

**XXXX**

"Do you have your passport?"

"Yes."

"Did you remember your allergy pills?"

"Yes."

"Did you pack an emergency supply of underwear?"

"Sheldon! There are washing machines in England." Leonard snapped his suitcase closed.

"It's just that I see several items not checked off on the packing list I gave you," Sheldon pointed out.

"That's because your list is six pages long. I'm going to England- not to settle the wilderness. If I forget anything, you can send it to me or I'll just buy it. The list wasn't this long when we went to the Arctic."

"That's because I was there to pick up the slack," Sheldon replied. Leonard heaved his suitcase off the bed; he'd just heard Penny come in to take him to the airport.

"You know, Sheldon, I never thought I 'd say this, but I'm going to miss you."

"Nonsense, " Sheldon chided. "between email, phone calls and video conferencing, you'll hardly notice my absence."

"Believe me, "Leonard said, relief surging through him at the thought of three Sheldon-less months. "I'll notice."

**XXXX**

**June 15**

The first two weeks of Leonard's absence were uneventful. True to her word, Penny checked in on Sheldon either before she left for work or when she came home. She, Howard and Raj did their best to maintain the schedule Sheldon so rigidly adhered to and that seemed to help with his roommate's absence.

Then, Sheldon got one of those awful summer colds that just lingers. He suspected something was coming on when he woke on Monday and his voice was an octave lower. By Wednesday, he was in respiratory distress. It was bad. He couldn't breathe; he was alternately sweating and shaking from chills. His head pounded so much he took to counting the beats. His nose was so raw he had to brace himself to blow it. At other times, it ran like a faucet and he just lay there with a tissue stuffed in his nostril. He couldn't even manage his bed so he placed himself on the couch with a drugstore assortment on the coffee table. He was currently wearing only one t-shirt and his pajama bottoms because he was suffering through the sweats.

When Penny came in, he was dozing and she could hear from the doorway his breath rattling in his chest. She gasped. She had no idea he was so sick. Penny closed the door softly, not wanting to disturb him. The Vaporub was a massive blue jar on the coffee table and Penny unscrewed the lid. The last time she had done this, she had been annoyed and a little repulsed but now she just felt pity. Slowly, she pulled Sheldon's t-shirt up and dipped her fingers in the ointment. When she began the counterclockwise circles, he finally stirred.

"Penny?" He wheezed.

"Sheldon, why didn't you call me?".

"Symptoms took a sudden turn," he labored too weak to even try to sit up.

"Shh. It's okay. I'm here now."

Sheldon opened his eyes. They were watery, oddly faded, and flat. "You'll take care of me?" He asked, sounding for all the world like a small boy.

"Of course." she finished rubbing and pulled his shirt down. She wiped her hands off, fluffed the pillow behind his head , and tucked the blanket around him once more. "Go back to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up." Her hand reached out to smooth back his hair but she pulled back remembering who this was.

And that was how Penny came to live with Sheldon the summer Leonard was away.


	3. Consultations with Experts

By Friday, Sheldon was on the mend, if his ornery behavior was any indication. Penny came out of Leonard's room to find Sheldon with latex gloves and a face mask on picking up all his discarded tissues and detritus from his sick bed.

"Are we having a biohazard drill?" She poured coffee before realizing Sheldon had already prepared a cup for her.

"I am taking all the necessary precautions to prevent further infection." Sheldon's voice was muffled.

"Sweetie, you still sound a little congested. You might want to take it easy."

"Nonsense. This whole apartment needs to be disinfected and sterilized today."

"I guess that is my cue to go home." Penny slid bread into the toaster.

Sheldon stopped gathering up his various bottles and pills. "You're not staying?" He seemed disappointed.

Penny looked up at him. "You seem better. I'm only across the hall."

"But what if I have a relapse? What if this is a temporary convalescence and there is something even more sinister waiting to assault my immune system?" Penny shook her head at him.

"Tonight is pizza and vintage video game night. We have four controllers and therefore, we need four people," Sheldon said as if that settled the matter.

"You don't like being here alone as much as you thought you would." Penny saw right through him.

"I've grown accustomed to the presence of another in the apartment, it's true." Penny's toast popped up and she slathered it with butter. Sheldon grimaced.

"Tell you what, Moonpie, " she said with her mouth full. "I'll stay through the weekend then we're back to prior living arrangements. Agreed?"

Sheldon stripped the pillow cases off the pillows, "Agreed."

Howard and Raj arrived just in time for all of them to have a conference call with Leonard. Sheldon gave a lengthy description of his illness including the color and consistency of his nasal secretions. Leonard listened patiently but nobody felt much like pizza after that. Howard and Raj filled him in on the new shipment at the comic book store(Sheldon had missed out due to his cold and fell into a sulk). Finally, Penny got to talk. She held the receiver to her ear for privacy.

"Thanks for taking care of Sheldon." Leonard said.

"Well, we kinda own him, don't we?"

"He said you stayed over."

"I slept in your room," Penny took the Coke Sheldon handed to her and mouthed 'thank you', "he was really sick. Whenever he breathed, he sounded like my car." She saw Sheldon's head jerk up at that. Leonard laughed.

"Penny, I have to get to the lab. I'll call again on Tuesday. I sent you an email."

"I'll read it later," she told him before hanging up. She turned to face the others and was greeted by Sheldon thrusting a game controller at her.

"You're on my team." was all he said.

Saturday, she and Sheldon went grocery shopping and he insisted on pushing the cart- the only thing he would willingly drive. That left Penny free to run up and down the aisles, gathering necessities for the two of them. Whenever she returned, Sheldon would tell her about the phytochemicals in blueberries or why certain products were placed at eye level.

"That's not on the list." Sheldon pointed to the flour, brown sugar, and chocolate chips she had just dumped into the cart.

Penny shrugged. "I might bake." They returned to the apartment so Penny could get ready for work.

"What shall I do with these?" Sheldon held up the bag with her groceries. Penny stood at her door.

"I don't have time to deal with them now , Sheldon. Just put it with your stuff."

"Very well, but making labels for everything you bought will be time consuming." Penny laughed and went inside to change.

Sunday morning, Sheldon made French Toast that put hers to shame and Penny realized she didn't want to go home. If this was how Sheldon was one on one, she could understand why Leonard stayed . He was quiet, neat to a fault, considerate (most of the time) and all together not unpleasant be around.

"What do you want to do today?" Penny asked, wiping her mouth.

"Aren't you going home?" Sheldon inquired.

"Not till later. We have the whole day."

"Could we go to the comic book store?"

"Could you shoot me in the head first?"

Sheldon tilted his head. "Sarcasm?"

"You bet."

In the end, they went to the new mini-golf course where Sheldon trounced Penny four games in a row. His prize was ice cream and they strolled around the park enjoying the California sunshine.

"A day out put some color back into your cheeks." Penny observed.

"Maybe my fever's returned." Sheldon pressed a hand to his forehead.

"Maybe you should just accept the fact that you are better because of my fantastic nursing skills." Penny nudged him with her elbow.

"Maybe." Sheldon took a lick of his ice cream cone.

**XXXX**

Sheldon didn't seem the least bit surprised to see Penny in her robe Monday morning when he walked into the kitchen. He commented that it was nice for her to come over to breakfast with him.

"I never left," she admitted.

"Oh," he poured them each a bowl of Raisin Bran. "You need you fiber," he said when she pouted.

"Raisins are the enemy," she told him.

"Agreed, but they are little powerhouses for a clean colon. That's what I keep in mind."

"And you can still eat?" Penny let the cereal drip off her spoon.

Sheldon checked his watch. "Raj should be here any minute. The bathroom is all sterilized. Please remember to remove your hair from the drain- I don't like doing that."

"Oh crap! I forgot Leonard's email! Penny remembered suddenly.

"Answer it now.' Sheldon draped his messenger bag across his chest. "He's so busy, he probably didn't notice."

"I hope not." She dropped in front of Sheldon's computer. He cleared his throat while his eyes lingered on Penny's tousled blond hair.

"I'm off," he announced, waiting for her to acknowledge him.

Penny turned from the screen. "Bye Sweetie. Have a good day. I'll see you later."

Sheldon had no answer when Raj asked him why he was smiling.


	4. The Reports

They made the cookies on June 22. Sheldon sat in his spot typing up notes on dark matter. He was growing increasingly frustrated with the research he and Raj were conducting. The answer was there but it kept dancing just out of reach. His concentration was not aided by Penny flipping the pages of her magazine back and forth. She put it down and reached for the remote.

"No!" Sheldon warned.

"I'm bored." she whined.

"Penny, I am trying to organize notes which may alter the understanding of the universe. It will not do for my thoughts to be disrupted by the antics of the Kardashians."

"You've been working since you got home."

"Yes. Well, on occasion, I am required to earn my salary."

"I'll keep the volume low." She offered.

"Vulcan hearing." He replied. She sighed and Sheldon typed. It didn't occur to either of them that there was a solution just across the hall. He glanced at her sitting slumped on the couch.

"Give me five minutes and we'll do something." He concede as she clapped her hands in delight.

All the ingredients were out when the quarrel began.

"You can't put walnuts in chocolate chip cookies." Sheldon told her.

"I like walnuts." Penny said holding the bag of flour.

"Sacrilege." Sheldon inspected each egg before choosing two which met with his unknown specifications. "Pecans are the way to go."

"Look, this is my idea so we're using walnuts."

"As this is my kitchen, pans and electricity, pecans will be employed in the baking process." Penny could feel her temper flare. Nothing infuriated her more than Sheldon's calm, collected style of arguing.

"Sheldon, you do realize you can't always have everything your way?" She gripped the bag of flour more tightly.

He cocked an eyebrow, "I don't understand the question."

"Arggh!" Penny groaned banging the flour on the island's surface. It popped open shooting a puff of white into her face. Sheldon looked up at the sound. Penny's eyes blinked out of a coating of flour like emeralds in the snow. He took it all in and, then, Sheldon did the most amazing thing. He began to laugh; not the asthmatic wheeze he usually passed off as laughter but a genuine laugh. Mouth open, Adam's apple bobbing, head thrown back. Penny fully expected him to slap his knee at any moment. Her disbelief was more at the magical sound coming out of the lanky physicist than at the flour on her face.

Sheldon walked over to her, dish towel in hand. He was still chuckling as he raised the towel. He tilted Penny's face holding her steady by her chin; she could feel the callus on his thumb brush her cheek. Deliberately, he ran the towel down the bridge of her nose and Penny felt her face pink at the action. Sheldon gave his lips a nervous lick and made to wipe her face again but Penny reached up to take the cloth from him. Their fingers brushed and Penny felt a flush go through her once more. She wiped off the rest of her face then looked at Sheldon causing the two of them to shake with laughter again.

An hour and half later, they sat watching _Return of the Jedi_ with a plate of warm chocolate chip walnut pecan cookies between them.

**XXXX**

"I'm glad you finally decided to play Halo here for a change," Leonard said over his shoulder to Sheldon. Raj and Howard hung up their jackets with the ease of frequent visitors. Sheldon remained by the door in his windbreaker, clutching his messenger bag for dear life.

"It's been six month since the wedding and you've never been here", Leonard continued. Only Raj noticed Sheldon had started chewing on his upper lip at the mention of the wedding.

"Why don't we play?" Raj suggested hoping to calm Sheldon down.

"Hold on, " Leonard turned to his former roommate. "Do you want to see the rest of the house?"

Sheldon swiveled his long neck around. "My observations here have given me sufficient data to extrapolate the layout of your domicile."

"Leonard? Is that you?" Penny's voice called from upstairs.

"Yes. We're all here." Leonard told her.

"I'll be right down."

At the sound of her voice, Sheldon's body instantly betrayed him. His hands itched with the feel of her skin and his shoulder dipped at the remembered weight of her leg there.

"Sheldon, take off your jacket." Howard scolded but Sheldon jerked violently away.

"I've just had a sudden realization", Sheldon announced. His friends looked at him expectantly. "I have to go."

"What?" Leonard cried. "You just got here. and I'm not going back out now. You haven't even seen Penny."

Sheldon shook his head. "I don't need you to drive me. I can walk."

"In the pouring rain?" Leonard scoffed. "You're being ridiculous."

Penny's footsteps approached the living room along with the memory of her fingers gripping his left hip to urge him on.

"I can't stay here!" Sheldon flung open the door and went out into the pelting rain.

Penny walked into the living room carrying five glasses with a smile of anticipation on her face.

"You said you were all here," she accused Leonard. Howard was still staring at the open door covered by a sheet of rain.

"We were", Leonard told her. "Then Sheldon just went bat-crap crazy and walked out." Howard looked at Penny then back at the still open door. He shot a glance at Raj who gave the tiniest of nods.

"He said he couldn't stay here." Howard told her gently.

"No. I suppose he couldn't", Penny agreed watching the rain dissolve the window

**XXXX**

"Penny, are you working on the Fourth of July?" Sheldon asked staring at his computer. She looked up from polishing her toes. "I was but I can switch. Why?"

"Dr. Gabelhauser is having a barbecue. Raj and Howard have told me my attendance is compulsory as he is my superior. I don't wish to go alone."

"Well, Sweetie, won't it seem odd that I'm there?"

"I don't see why," Sheldon reasoned. "Leonard would be there but he's across the Pond. You're his girlfriend ergo you can act as his proxy." Penny jotted down the word 'proxy' to look up later.

"Are there going to be fireworks?"

"I assume so; it is traditional to light up the sky."

"Can I dress you up like Uncle Sam? You have the height."

That earned her a strike.

"No. But you may wear the appropriate festive colors. I believe I have a Captain America t-shirt somewhere."

Penny capped her nail polish. "Okay. What are we going to bring?"

Sheldon commenced with typing. "Chocolate chip cookies, of course."


	5. The Recommendations

Sheldon adapted quite easily to his new routine. On Saturdays, unless she was working, he and Penny went grocery shopping and did laundry. Sunday mornings were spent eating French toast and reading the paper. They tried doing the crossword together, but Sheldon was too impatient with Penny so she would work on it until her patience ran out, then toss it to him. It never ceased to amaze her that Sheldon solved a puzzle in five minutes that she had labored over for hours. Literally. She had timed him.

Their time together wasn't always idyllic. They argued at least once a day over Penny's habit of just leaving things were they fell- usually the floor, causing Sheldon to trip. Penny told him it wasn't her fault he had such ridiculously huge feet.

"My feet have nothing to do with the fact that you're a slob!" Sheldon snapped.

"And you're a neurotic tightass," she yelled back.

"May I ask what is the benefit of a closet if you intend to strew your clothing around the apartment. Are you under the impression that the closet is just for vomiting because the term 'water closet' went out of fashion centuries ago," Sheldon preached. Penny stalked around him, snatching up her discarded remnants from the living room.

"Where are you going?" Sheldon demanded.

"To my room," she barked. He didn't bother to correct her by pointing out her room was across the way not down the hall.

**XXXX**

Sometimes, when Sheldon was at work, Penny would go over to her apartment. Most of the time, she was there to get clothes or some other necessity and she would dash in and out. Other times, Penny would look around and it seemed all her belongings were that of a stranger. It still astonished her she had "moved" into 4A three weeks ago and it had been even longer since Leonard had left.

She sat on her couch, feeling like she had been given an opportunity to experience one of those alternate universes Sheldon always talked about. This summer was giving her a chance to see what her life would have been like if she had managed to get Sheldon to sit next to her on the day they'd all met, if she had picked up on his body language after she had recognized him as "one of those beautiful mind genius guys."

Oddly, Penny didn't miss her apartment and, if she was honest, she only missed Leonard when she received an email or spoke to him. It frightened her a little how quickly she and Sheldon had become entangled in each other's lives but not as much as the chills she got each time their hands would brush while doing laundry or how aroused she became knowing those eyes followed her all around the apartment. Perhaps she had dodged a bullet by getting involved with Leonard. Sheldon took up her every thought, every action. For Christ's sake, she gave up her apartment and put her absent boyfriend completely out of her mind. There was only one boundary that hadn't been crossed and Penny truly feared if that happened, the girl who lived in this apartment would never return.

**XXXX**

Penny and Sheldon arrived at the barbecue promptly at four. She had argued that they didn't want to be the first ones there; Sheldon countered that the invitation read four o'clock. As it turned out, scientists don't believe in being fashionably late because the party was in full swing when they came through the gate.

"Dr. Cooper, " Dr. Gabelhauser loped over clad in shorts printed with American flags.

"Dr. Gabelhauser, " Sheldon said stiffly. "This is Penny." He said her name as if there was no question who she was.

"Hello, "Penny greeted before handing him the platter of cookies. She had found a novelty plate in the shape of Uncle Sam and filled the spaces between the cookies with red, white and blue M&M's finally topping the whole thing with a cascade of patriotic ribbons.

"Thank you", Dr. Gabelhauser said. "Come on. Have a drink." Penny walked forward and Dr. Gabelhauser watched her white sundress appreciatively.

"Nice piece of work, Cooper, " he nodded in Penny's direction.

"Thank you, " Sheldon answered, completely bewildered.

Penny was standing by the hors d'oeuvres watching Raj, Howard and Sheldon talk with a burly man with a beard spilling over his stomach. The man spoke and Howard and Raj laughed. Sheldon drew his brows together, looked at his friends, then uttered his wheeze/snort two minutes too late.

"Do you work at the university?" A woman smiled at Penny as she reached for a crab cake.

"No," Penny answered.

"Grad student?"

Penny shook her head again. "I'm here with Sheldon, I mean, Dr. Cooper."

The woman peered over Penny's shoulder at Sheldon who was now waxing poetic about decaying string mass .

"Imagine that," the woman said before wandering away.

"Hey Cooper." Sheldon sat clutching a cheeseburger and waiting for Penny to return with his lemonade.

"Kripke."

"Awone as usual, I see, "Kripke prodded. Sheldon bit into his cheeseburger and immediately longed for his Cheesecake Factory order. Discreetly, he spat it into a napkin. His friends were making their way back to the table.

"Heey!" Kripke leered. "Isn't that the hot wittle numba who wives acwoss the hall fwom you? What's she doing here?"

Sheldon stood, towering over the speech-impaired pest. "Penny, " he stressed her name, "is here with me." Then he walked over to get his lemonade.

Dr. Gabelhauser had a huge tract of land behind his house and he had hired a pyrotechnic crew so there were fireworks. Penny stood next to Sheldon.

"It may interest you to know," Sheldon began as the first flare lit up the sky, "that a Chinese monk named Li Tan is credited with inventing the firecracker one thousand years ago. During the Song Dynasty the people of the Hunan province established a temple of worship to him."

Penny wasn't listening. She was too absorbed in the play of colors across his face and how they turned his eyes into kaleidoscopes.

"Are you enjoying this?" Sheldon looked down at her as silver sparks formed a corona around his head. Penny realized it was a loaded question.

"I am, Sheldon, " she laced their fingers to give her answer equal weight. "I really , really am."

**XXXX**

They entered Sheldon's apartment to the sound of the phone ringing. Penny sauntered off to change while Sheldon lunged for the phone.

"Sheldon?" Leonard's voice was tinny and far away.

"Yes."

Penny emerged from the back hall with her Cornhusker t-shirt just covering her thighs. Sheldon watched as she reached for a glass. Hello Kitty panties flashed and he crossed his legs.

"Sheldon, have you seen Penny?" Leonard's voice buzzed in his ear.

"You'll have to be more specific, " Sheldon answered.

"Today, Sheldon. Have you seen her today?"

"Yes. She came with me to Dr. Gabelhauser's barbecue. If you want, I can tell her to come over here to the phone."

Penny looked up from Sheldon's article in _Physics Monthly_ and watched as the physicist did his signature knock on his own door. She knew he wasn't trying to be funny but she bit her knuckle to stifle the laugh.

"Penny, Leonard is on the phone and wishes to speak to you." Sheldon didn't seem to know what to do with his hands and Penny buried her face in a throw pillow. When she regained control, she picked up the phone.

"Hey stranger."

"You didn't tell me you were going to the barbecue." Leonard lit right into her.

"What's the big deal? Howard and Raj were there, too."

"I asked you to check on Sheldon not to escort him to parties," Leonard reminded her hotly.

Sheldon sat next to her watching CNN with the volume low. Their eyes met for a second and a flash of guilt hit Penny. She took the phone into Leonard's room.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Leonard demanded. Penny was suddenly very tired.

"I left it here. Look, Leonard, I know it's hard being away from home but don't take it out on me."

"I'm just surprised you'd spend all that time with Sheldon." He didn't sound as angry now.

"And Howard and Raj and the entire science department of Caltech. It's really late here and I have to get some sleep."

"I miss you, Penny."

She cleared her throat before answering him, "I miss you, too. Happy Fourth of July."

They hung up and Penny lay staring at the ceiling. When Sheldon softly knocked fifteen minutes later, she pretended to be asleep.

**XXXX**

**August 22**

Raj placed his tray across from Sheldon who was poring over a textbook. The roadblock in their research had made interactions between them tense, but Raj knew he didn't have much time.

"Sheldon, we need to talk."

"Not now, Raj," Sheldon flipped a page and scribbled in his notebook.

Raj took a breath; time to bring out the bargaining chips. "Sheldon, I won't be able to run interference with Howard if we don't talk…NOW."

Sheldon looked up through narrowed eyes. "Alright." Raj opened his mouth to speak but Sheldon interrupted him. "I have just a few parameters. First, I will only respond 'yes' or 'no'. Second, this is your only chance to find out the information you need. Third, anything I say is strictly confidential and finally, we will never discuss this again." Raj gave a short nod then took a moment to rephrase all his questions.

'Is Penny living with you?"

"Yes, " Sheldon answered before resuming his reading.

"When did that happen?" Sheldon ignored the question so Raj tried again.

"Has she been there since Leonard left?"

"No," Sheldon wrote in his notebook.

"Were you holding hands the other night?"

Sheldon ate a spoonful of soup and made a face. "Yes."

"So, there is something going on between you?"

"Yes." Raj noticed Howard moving through the cafeteria line.

"Does Leonard know?" Sheldon gave him such a scathing look he blushed.

"Dude, Leonard is coming home in like ten days. What are you going to do?"

"I'm sorry, " Sheldon replied. "Your question does not fit the agreed upon format." Raj rolled his eyes; this was worse than he thought. Howard was poring over the desserts.

"Alright, Sheldon. I'm not judging you or Penny but you'll have to figure out what you're going to do- both of you. I'll be able to distract Howard but be careful. He's already commented on how she's always around and he swears he saw her kiss you two days ago."

Sheldon paled remembering Penny drove him to work and pecked him goodbye. Howard, looking smarmy, had appeared at Sheldon's elbow shortly after he exited the car. Sheldon just assumed it was his natural expression.

"I appreciate your discretion, Raj", Sheldon said quietly.

"I can't say I'm surprised", Raj admitted leaning back in his chair. "It's been a long time coming, but Leonard isn't just a roommate -he's your best friend." Sheldon munched thoughtfully on a carrot stick. "One more thing," Raj's eyes tracked Howard as he moved through the cafeteria. "Do you love Penny?"

Sheldon opened his mouth to answer just as Howard dropped his tray on the table.

"What's up, Nerd Herd?" Howard greeted. Raj's window slammed shut.


	6. The Choice

Once they started kissing, they didn't stop. Penny would pin Sheldon in a corner of their stairwell running her hands under his double shirts to trace his ribs with her index fingers. She would silently marvel at the difference between him and Leonard who certainly had more padding over his bones than Sheldon . Anybody did.

She was fifteen minutes late for work one day because Sheldon just wouldn't let her leave. She leaned in to kiss him goodbye and he pulled her onto his lap to kiss her -close mouthed, but continuously.

"Sheldon, I have to leave", she murmured against his lips. He let her go, but followed her to the door. When she opened it, he pressed it shut with Penny's face flush against it. Her legs quivered as Sheldon set about kissing her ears and running his lips from her jaw to the curve of her neck until Penny thought she was going to burst into flames. Then he stepped back, snaked a long arm past her waist, and opened the door.

"Screw work!" Penny growled pulling him towards her and hooking her leg behind his knee.

They were reckless, too. Kissing in the laundry room or in the car when Penny took him to work. One night, while Howard and Raj were over to play HALO, Penny kept nipping at Sheldon's ear under the pretense of discussing strategy, holding her hand up to hide her actions. When Raj went to the bathroom and Howard was crouched in front of the console trying to upgrade it, Sheldon threaded his long fingers through her hair and slipped his tongue past her lips.

His kisses were so different than Leonard's. Leonard would hold her face as if she were made of porcelain. Penny always had to deepen the kisses with Leonard. Sheldon kissed just like he did everything else- with a precision and an intensity set on mastery. Even with kissing, he was never silly.

"Hey Sheldon, toss me the manual." Howard asked not turning around. Sheldon flicked it with his wrist while still nibbling Penny's lower lip. He only broke contact when he heard Raj open the bathroom door. Raj returned, taking in the scene: Howard scanning the game manual, Sheldon sitting _too_ still next to Penny, and Penny-her eyes bright, absently touching her puffy lower lip with her index finger. Sheldon's eyes slid sideways to the woman on his right and his mouth gave a tiny curve upward.

_Oh Vishnu! This was not good._

**XXXX**

The reception was in full swing. Cake had been cut, bouquet tossed, and now there was nothing left to do but dance.

Sheldon sat at his table having flatly refused to decorate the newlyweds' car with silly string, condoms, and tin cans. He tugged at his collar, swearing under his breath. Tuxedos gave him a rash.

Nancy, Penny's mother, watched him from across the dance floor. He had changed so much since she'd last seen him, four years before Leonard left for England. Then, Sheldon had been somewhat palatable. At least he conversed; now he was brooding and oddly silent . Being quiet just didn't sit naturally on Sheldon. During the pictures, he kept to himself- not engaging in any of the bridal party's playful banter. Each time Penny's gaze fell on Sheldon, her smile would just disappear. No slow fade just an instant loss of the light in her eyes. Throughout the whole picture session, Sheldon kept pulling at his tuxedo and his eye had developed a rather unappealing twitch. He insisted on standing in the back, claiming his height, but he never smiled in any shot. Not one. When Penny's mother asked Leonard about Sheldon's behavior, the groom shrugged it off explaining, "Sheldon doesn't like grown up clothes."

Her gaze traveled to her daughter standing by a table talking animatedly to a cousin. Penny looked beautiful in a form fitting white gown with a small train spilling over her feet. She had forgone a veil. Instead, each wave was held by a sparkling white Penny Blossom. Every so often, Penny would glance over her shoulder at the lone figure seated in the corner. Nancy decided it was time to see what's what.

She caught up to Penny. "You are neglecting some of your guests."

"Who?" Penny was genuinely concerned but her mother could tell she was tipsy from the champagne. Nancy walked her over to Sheldon. His hands were clasped between his knees and he was staring at the floor. Penny sobered up instantly.

"How ya doing, Sheldon?" Penny's mother greeted him. Sheldon lifted his head but, when he saw Penny in tow, his eyes glittered like ice.

"Well. Thank you"

"Haven't seen you dancing. It's a party, remember?" Nancy teased.

"I don't dance."

"Sheldon doesn't dance, Mom." Their voices overlapped each other.

"Penny, when I married your father, I danced with each usher. They were my friends as well as his. Just like you and Leonard," Sheldon gave a soft snort and her mother went on, "Sheldon is the best man- you should dance with him."

Penny closed her eyes. She ached each time someone referred to Sheldon as the best man. She had actually argued with Leonard over having Sheldon, saying he should pick Howard since Sheldon was such a social nightmare. Even Sheldon had put up a fight, claiming his research took precedence over all but, in the end, Leonard had prevailed. When she opened her eyes again, Sheldon was still sitting there, chewing his upper lip and looking at the wall.

"Sheldon doesn't want to dance with me, Mom." Penny could feel tears prickling at her eyes. Nancy was determined to figure out the problem. For years, Penny had always mentioned Sheldon-telling stories about all his antics and idiosyncrasies. Then, once Leonard came home, she just stopped. It was as if the tall scientist had ceased to exist.

"Of course he does," her mother scolded and pulled Penny's hand forward. Even though she had been warned about Sheldon's "touch issues", she tugged at his arm anyway. "C'mon Sheldon. Dance with Penny. This is a beautiful song." Penny's eyes widened in horror as she recognized the notes of "They Can't Take That Away from Me."

"Mrs…" Sheldon began.

"Nancy, Sheldon. I told you to call me Nancy"

Sheldon looked at her then- this woman Penny would resemble in thirty years or so. He turned the full force of his eyes on her and, when she saw what was there, her heart broke and she regretted her foolishness.

"Very well," Sheldon said unfailingly polite to other people's mothers. He took Penny's arm above the wrist and pulled her towards the floor. The song swirled around them and Sheldon tried unsuccessfully to block the memory of this song, Penny in red and a Superman pen. Penny looked up at him, trying to make eye contact but he staunchly refused to meet her gaze.

"The cake was good, huh?" Penny tried. Sheldon sighed and held her farther away.

"I'm sorry the pictures went on for so long. The photographer went a little crazy." Sheldon stared over her head at the wall.

"Sheldon." Penny's voice cracked. He struggled to ignore her, biting his tongue as the blasted song went on and on. Penny's mother watched. Her daughter's face clearly showed she was trying not to cry. Leonard caught sight of them dancing and he moved closer, a frown creasing his brow.

"Please talk to me," Penny whispered sniffing audibly. Sheldon clenched his jaw tighter; Penny could hear his teeth grinding against each other.

"Oh, finally! You two got together." Penny and Sheldon turned in unison to face the photographer. "Just stand there while I set up the shot and we'll have a great picture of the bride and best man to match the one of the groom and the maid of honor."

Sheldon continued to move Penny in a tight circle on the floor. The photographer fiddled with his equipment. "Okay," he raised the camera. "Ready and…"

Sheldon stepped away just as the flash went off leaving Penny alone in the frame.

**XXXX**

"I just don't see why we have to take a pottery class," Howard whined as he and Raj walked up the stairs to get Sheldon for work.

Raj was a step ahead. "It's important to utilize other skills. For instance, working with your hands."

"I'm an engineer. That's all I do," Howard huffed.

"Howard, " Raj faced him. "Women take pottery classes and they appreciate a man with good hands."

"You know, " Howard rubbed his hands together, "I have always wanted to reenact that scene from _Ghost_." Raj felt a little sick at that but shrugged it off.

The door to 4A opened and Penny stepped out dressed for work.

"Is that Sheldon?" Howard's view was barely blocked by Raj's shoulder. Raj stood immobilized as Sheldon poked his head out. Penny turned back, smiled and leaned in toward Sheldon.

"Oh, it's Penny," Howard had caught sight of her ponytail. "Little early for her to be around." Penny's lips almost touched Sheldon's when Raj yelped, "Good morning!" then quickly covered his mouth. Penny jumped a mile and Sheldon slammed the door. Howard was now abreast with Raj.

"Didn't I just see Sheldon's head?" Howard asked. Penny and Raj silently shook their heads 'no'. Just then the door swung open and Sheldon emerged in a painful array of purple, green and red.

"Good morning, gentlemen, " he greeted then gave an exaggerated startle. "Oh, hello Penny. Fancy seeing you here."

Raj rolled his eyes. Sheldon was no actor.

"Weren't you just talking to her?" Howard frowned.

"No," all three of them responded.

"I'm going to be late." Penny squeezed past them but not before her eyes flashed a desperate message to Raj.

**XXXX**

"With all due respect, Penny," Sheldon's hands slid down cupping her rear, "tonight is not about you."

**XXXX**

She woke around four in the morning. Sheldon was in his corpse pose but one long arm was pinned underneath her. She eased herself up intending to go back to Leonard's room.

"Where are you going?" Sheldon asked. Penny had just slipped her tank top over her bare breasts.

"You want me to stay?" She was genuinely surprised, but then tonight had been full of surprises including learning Sheldon wasn't as innocent as they thought. He knew the mechanics but not the finesse. Sheldon pulled her toward him and kissed her until she curled around him again.

The next time she opened her eyes, Sheldon was leaning on one elbow looking down at her as if she caused the sun outside the window to rise. His long fingers were splayed across her inner thigh.

"Good morning," she said. His eyes were dark blue with desire. He kissed her, tracing her top lip with his tongue.

"Teach me," he whispered, sliding his hand upward.

**XXXX**

Penny bolted upright in the bed looking wildly for the time. 10:30. Work was at 11:30. Sheldon, freshly showered, was pulling his Green Lantern shirt over a long sleeved orange t-shirt. The effect turned Penny's stomach.

"Hey, " she called.

"Oh, good. You're awake," Sheldon said. "I need to change those sheets."

Penny blanched- that was a little harsh but did she really expect Sheldon to know bedroom etiquette?

"I think we need to talk, don't you?" Penny was searching the bed covers for _any_ of her clothes.

"No." Sheldon handed her his Superman shirt.

"Sheldon, " Penny poked her head through the neck of the shirt. "Today is July 31st. Leonard will be home in a month."

"I am well aware of the date of Leonard's return."

Penny kicked the covers aside and stood in front of him.

"How did this happen? What's going on? Leonard is my boyfriend and your friend; he doesn't deserve this."

"Penny," Sheldon crossed his arms. "Am I to respond to any of this or are you running a monologue?"

"We need to talk about this." She grabbed his forearm and was stunned by the look of horror that crossed his face. He certainly hadn't had a problem with that hand last night!

"I have no intention of discussing this now, " Sheldon calmly removed her hand. "Leonard will not be back for thirty seven days."

"Sheldon, we can't postpone the inevitable."

Suddenly, his hands cradled her head and he was kissing her again. Penny tried to push him away but he only held her tighter, working her mouth until she responded to him just as ardently. He pressed his forehead to hers as their lips separated.

"I don't want to talk now, Penny. We have thirty-seven days and twelve hours. Please, not now."


	7. The Prize

**Ch 7- The Prize**

She never told him she loved him.

Later, when her roots showed, her lines were cut from a scene, and the truth of her marriage overpowered the lie, Penny would tell herself if she'd only told him, it all would have been different. Then she'd shake her head at her foolishness, knowing how intractable Sheldon was.

In truth, it would have made all the difference in the world.

**XXXX**

"Sheldon, have you ever lived with a woman before?" Penny slid the razor through the shaving cream on her leg as she sat on the edge of the tub. Sheldon was positioned at the sink behind her.

"Of course, " His razor traveled up his throat. Penny almost nicked herself.

"Who?"

"My mother. My sister. The housefrau in Germany." Sheldon tilted his head to the right and guided his razor once more.

"Not family, Whackadoodle, "Penny angled her leg to reach her ankle. "I meant in a non-platonic way."

"Why would I do that?" Sheldon's words were muffled as he shaved under his nose. Sometimes, his obtuseness amazed her.

"Never mind," she told him as they simultaneously rinsed their blades.

"Easy enough." Sheldon wiped his face; Penny rinsed off her leg.

"Did I miss a spot?" Sheldon presented his face to her. Penny ran her hand down his cheek and across his chin.

"Smooth as a baby's butt," she told him. "What about me?" Gingerly, she raised her leg and wrapped Sheldon's fingers around her ankle. He slid his hand all the way up to her thigh, giving her a wicked look.

"In order for me to conduct a thorough inspection, we'll have to postpone the start of oatmeal day."

**XXXX**

The cracks in Sheldon and Penny's world began to show in August. They took the stress of Leonard's return out on each other. Penny would leave the cap off the toothpaste or would put the toilet paper under the spindle instead of over. Sheldon dug in his heels about his schedule. He didn't care that Penny made him a meatloaf- tonight was pizza night and that was that. America's Next Top Model will no longer be watched because it interfered with BattleStar Galactica and no, they weren't going to use up memory to DVR it. They did their best to remind each other just how antagonistic and hostile it could be between them and they succeeded.

Still, Sheldon would wait for her to come to bed before turning off the lights. Penny always made him cookies on Sunday. No matter how bitter the argument, they fell asleep holding hands.

One day, Sheldon came home from work absolutely seething. Data he and Raj had spent months compiling was flawed. The reports were worthless and his dream slipped farther away. He flung open the door.

"Hey, Moonp…"

"Don't call me that!" he raged. "Only Meemaw calls me that. Why is that so hard for you to remember?"

Penny's eyes widened. This wasn't Sheldon annoyed; this was Sheldon angry and she'd never seen it before.

"I'm sorry, Sheldon," she said quietly. He looked around the apartment. There was a glass without a coaster. Three months of Cosmo spilled over the end table. The island was covered with God-knows-what and Penny sat In His Spot!

Everything was spinning out of control. His research. His apartment. Hell, his life! He glared at Penny who shrank at the heat of his gaze. She was the cause of all of it. All this disruption and chaos and…emotion were because of her. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Sheldon, honey, what is it?" Penny walked over to touch him but he batted her hand away.

"Not now!" He barked.

"Alright. Relax. Should I make some tea?"

"I don't want tea" He flung his bag on the floor.

"I can't help if I don't know what the problem is." Penny sauntered into the kitchen to put her glass in the sink.

_You. The problem is you and what you've done to me. What I **let** you do to me. Now, it's ending and I don't know if I can go back to before._

Sheldon said nothing, just walked over and grabbed Penny's wrist, dragging her to his bedroom.

"Sheldon! You're hurting me."

_Like I'm hurting now with the knowledge that very soon I'll never be able to do this again. Won't **want** to do this again with anyone else. **EVER**._

He pushed her in ahead of him and slammed the door. Before she could react, he had her in a brutal kiss and she tasted blood.

"Sheldon, " she murmured. "Sheldon, stop."

He threaded his hands through her hair and toppled her onto the bed, wanting only to be closer to her for only Penny knew how to make him feel better. She'd proven that so many times. Penny writhed beneath him and Sheldon moved to kiss her throat. She winced at the love bite he left in the crook of her shoulder.

"If you do this, you'll never forgive yourself," Penny's voice was deadly. "If you do this, you'll be treating me like an object just like every other guy I've known. Including Leonard."

Sheldon stopped. His hands had shoved her shorts half down. Slowly, he returned them to their rightful place. His head remained buried in her shoulder.

"Oh, Penny, " he moaned, all his contrition and horror at his behavior into her name. "Sometimes, it's just too much to bear."

Penny pressed a kiss to his temple. She knew exactly what he meant. Today was August fifteenth. They had only seventeen days left.

**XXXX**

Penny spent time with Sheldon in ways she never would have even considered with Leonard. They'd sit on the roof and Sheldon would point out constellations then quiz her the next time they went up. She read one of his scientific journal articles, covering it with post it notes filled with questions, then listened and asked more questions while he explained it to her.

Once, Penny got an entire weekend from Friday to Sunday off. She convinced Sheldon they should go for a drive- maybe hit the beach. Friday morning dawned gray and gloomy and the rest of weekend was not expected to be better. Penny's mood matched the weather until Sheldon marched into her apartment to retrieve the experiment kit Leonard had given her two years ago. They did every experiment in the kit that weekend with Sheldon adding his own special touches so results blew purple smoke or created sparks.

Penny's eyes widened in delight when she was able to re-create Sheldon's expanding foam on her own just by following his notes. He never imagined Penny would be interested in this other part of his world. His mother could only follow his ideas and theories so far and Missy only took interest when she needed him to concoct some type of chemical revenge on a boy. It got so that Sheldon experienced a thrill each time Penny would ask, "Sheldon, why does…?" or "What would happen if…?"

He leaned his cheek on his hand , watching her as she worked on miscibility and density of liquids, layering them in a twelve ounce glass. Her face was a mask of concentration as she measured and scanned the directions. She stopped for a second to smile at him. He only nodded, lost in thoughts of "What would happen if…"

**XXXX**

At midnight, on September first, Sheldon woke Penny wordlessly. His hands drifted over her breasts and traced a circle on her stomach before traveling lower to evaluate her awareness of him. They didn't speak as they began the motions that had become so familiar to them since July. Their silence made their lovemaking even more poignant; each one concentrating fully on the other . Penny twined her legs with his and arched to have him as deeply inside her as she could. Their kisses were gentle, their caresses like butterflies even as desire struggled to quicken their pace. When Sheldon came, he whispered, "I love you, Penny", and ignored the tears drifting down her face.

Seven AM. Penny pulled her robe on and walked into the living room. Sheldon was up, dressed and carrying around a grocery bag.

"Ah, Penny, " he held the bag out. "I've taken the liberty of collecting all your belongings. Please double-check though I am sure I haven't overlooked anything." She blinked at the torrent of words coming from him. It was too early for this.

"Sheldon."

"Raj will be here to take me to work and Leonard will be landing in five hours, assuming he made his connection." Sheldon's eye twitched and he gave a bizarre shudder/shrug.

"Sheldon."

"Your coffee is ready and I've poured you some cereal so…"

"For God's sake, stop!" Penny shrieked. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Sheldon stood perfectly still and said nothing. "Is this it?" She wrapped her arms about her. "Leonard is coming home and that's it?"

"What did you expect to happen?" Sheldon positioned himself in his spot.

"I don't know, " she replied honestly.

"Perhaps I can help, " Sheldon offered. "If we were to maintain this current paradigm, it would eventually fall apart. Recall our behavior in August and the impact it had on my work. I want to win the Nobel Prize. I need to win it. There is **nothing** that is even a close second to that goal. **Nothing**."

Penny took a deep breath as the reality of those words sunk in.

"What am I supposed to?" All feeling just drained out of her.

"Shower. Dress. Make sure every trace of you in this apartment is eradicated. Go to work, then go back to Leonard. You will always be the center of the universe for him." Sheldon glanced at his watch and rose from the couch.

"What about you, Sheldon?" Penny challenged. "Are you just going to forget this summer happened?"

"Penny, I won't be able to forget because…"

She held up her hand. "I know. You have an eidetic memory."

Sheldon adjusted the strap on his messenger bag. "That's true. What I was going to say is I won't forget because I love you. I love you but you have to go back to Leonard." He opened the door to leave. "Please don't be here when I come home."

For the second time in as many hours, Sheldon had made her cry.

**XXXX**

On July fifth, Penny woke up determined to go back to her apartment. She showered and dressed carefully before making her way to the living room.

Sheldon was there- two plates of French toast ready, the crossword laid out with a pen and her coffee steaming beside it. She closed her eyes. Why did he have to make everything so hard?

"Good morning, " she murmured.

"I was beginning to think you'd run off in the night." Sheldon commenced with eating his breakfast. Penny took a sip of coffee. Yesterday had been an aberration. She'd let herself get caught up in the festivities and the electricity of Sheldon's eyes. Leonard's phone call had doused her with a cold bucket of reality. She was Leonard's girlfriend and what she was doing was wrong.

"Is something wrong with your breakfast?"

"I'm not very hungry."

"Perhaps you'll have more of an appetite after you complete the crossword. Thinking always makes me hungry, " Sheldon offered.

"Sheldon," Penny tapped the mug with her fingernails. "I think I need to go back to my apartment."

He paused, then lowered his fork. "I see."

"I don't think you do". Penny rose from her seat and walked over to him, despite the fact that her brain was screaming for her to stop. "This isn't right what's going on here."

"What if it is?" Sheldon looked up at her. Somehow, Penny was standing in between his knees and he was holding both her hands.

"What do you mean?" She could barely get the words out.

Sheldon stood and Penny's head automatically tilted up. "Well, " he said slowly. "There are an infinite number of universes with an infinite number of scenarios occurring in them."

When had he leaned in so closely? He fixed her with his eyes. At this proximity, Penny could see the irises were striated with deeper blues and a few flecks of green. Green that matched hers. "Perhaps this is the right scenario. The one that is supposed to happen." He closed the distance between them a bit more but seemed uncertain as to what to do with is nose.

"Leonard…" Penny squeaked.

Sheldon's gaze hardened for a fraction of a second. "Is in England."

Penny stepped back, letting her head clear. "Sheldon, I can't stay here just because my boyfriend's away and you want company."

"Do you really think that's why _you've_ stayed and why _I_ let you?" He raised an eyebrow before bringing the plates to the sink.

"Excuse me?" She was outraged.

Sheldon remained with his back to her. He didn't want her to go but couldn't find the words to say it. Last night, when she had smiled at him across the yard and given him the Vulcan hand sign, he knew Penny had become so much more to him. Like dark matter, she had always been there, but now he couldn't rest until he understood every atom, molecule, and galaxy of which she was made and their effects on him.

"If you're just going to shut down, I'm outta here," Penny announced. He turned, expecting to see her flouncing down the hall but she had fooled him. She stood right behind him.

"No." his hands circled her waist then moved to her shoulders. "I mean don't…," he leaned toward her then pulled back. "I want you to…" He finally settled on placing a hand on either side of her jaw.

"Sheldon…" Penny had to know. "Have you ever kissed a girl before?"

He snorted. "There was the stereotypical Spin-the-Bottle experience when Missy and I had our Sweet Sixteen." Penny giggled at the thought of the newly minted Dr. Cooper playing kissing games in a Texas basement.

"But, " he stepped closer to her, trying to determine the correct angle. "I've never _wanted_ to kiss anyone before. I've only ever just wanted to kiss _you_."

Their lips met and Penny shivered. Sheldon waited for her to show him the next step. She moved her lips against his, opening his mouth. Her arms rounded his waist as she pressed him against the sink. Fortunately, Sheldon's kissing skills weren't anything like his driving skills. As he moved to kiss her just behind her ear, moaning softly, Penny realized that somewhere between June fourteenth and now, she had fallen deeply and irrevocably in love with Sheldon Cooper.

_Finis_


End file.
